Multinet Gas

Multinet Gas Networks, commonly known as Multinet Gas or MGN, is an Australian energy infrastructure business that operates one of Victoria's three principal natural-gas distribution networks. Rather than selling gas directly as a retail brand, it owns and manages the local distribution infrastructure that transports gas from the high-pressure transmission system to homes, businesses and other customers through smaller-diameter, lower-pressure pipelines. The network serves approximately 703,000 homes and 16,000 businesses across Melbourne's inner eastern and outer eastern suburbs, the Yarra Ranges and South Gippsland. Its infrastructure includes about 164 kilometres of licensed transmission pipelines, roughly 9,650 kilometres of distribution mains and 179 regulator stations. Distribution pressures range from approximately 7 kilopascals to 515 kilopascals, allowing the system to move gas through different parts of the network before it reaches customer connections. The network has deep historical roots. Gas infrastructure in Melbourne was developed by the Metropolitan Gas Company before the 1880s. In 1951, that business was taken over by the government-owned Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria, which controlled Melbourne's gas network area until the sector was privatised in 1997. The modern Multinet Gas network therefore combines newer infrastructure with legacy assets, including more than 1,400 kilometres of low-pressure mains. Some of these are cast-iron pipes dating from the nineteenth century. Water ingress into older cast-iron sections during wet weather has been identified as a recurring source of reliability problems. A major infrastructure priority is the replacement of these older low-pressure mains. The replacement programme targets the removal of all low-pressure mains by 2031. In many locations, the operator inserts high-pressure polyethylene pipe inside existing cast-iron mains. This approach reduces excavation and property disruption while providing a more durable and protected modern pipe system. Multinet Gas is one of three businesses forming Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, alongside Australian Gas Networks and Dampier to Bunbury Pipeline. The group became part of the Cheung Kong Infrastructure-controlled Australian energy portfolio after CKI acquired the DUET Group in 2017 for approximately A$7.4 billion. Following that transaction, CKI owned or controlled several Australian electricity and gas networks, including United Energy, CitiPower, Powercor and Australian Gas Networks. By 2018, Multinet Gas was being operated within the commonly managed AGIG structure. The business is also involved in planning for the possible transition from conventional natural gas toward renewable gases. AGIG has developed renewable hydrogen initiatives elsewhere in Australia, while Multinet Gas has undertaken hydrogen-readiness studies covering operating procedures, pipeline welds, equipment in hazardous areas and material compatibility. The studies cited in the reference material concluded that the network was approximately 99 percent ready for 100 percent hydrogen, although this represents readiness assessment and planning rather than evidence that the network has been converted to hydrogen service. Multinet Gas is therefore best understood as regulated gas-distribution infrastructure with a long-term focus on asset renewal, reliability and adaptation to lower-carbon gas technologies.

The history of Multinet Gas is rooted in the development of Melbourne's municipal and metropolitan gas infrastructure. The Metropolitan Gas Company established gas networks in Melbourne before the 1880s, creating an early distribution system that later became part of the city's broader public gas utility structure. In 1951, the Metropolitan Gas Company was taken over by the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria, a government-owned monopoly supplier. The corporation controlled Melbourne's gas network area for several decades. Victoria's gas industry was subsequently reorganised and privatised. The 1997 privatisation ended the Gas and Fuel Corporation's long period of public ownership and led to the separation and commercial operation of gas-network assets. Multinet Gas emerged as the operator of one of the three major Victorian gas-distribution areas. Its service territory covers substantial parts of eastern Melbourne, the Yarra Ranges and South Gippsland. The network's physical history remains visible in its asset base. Alongside modern mains and regulator stations, it contains more than 1,400 kilometres of low-pressure mains, including cast-iron sections dating from the 1880s. These legacy pipes can experience water ingress during wet weather, which has contributed to supply-reliability issues. To address this, Multinet Gas has pursued a long-term mains-renewal programme. The planned method commonly involves installing high-pressure polyethylene pipe inside existing cast-iron mains. This technique modernises the pressure system while limiting excavation, disruption to properties and damage to surrounding infrastructure. The programme's stated objective is to replace all low-pressure mains by 2031. Corporate ownership changed again through the consolidation of Australian infrastructure assets. DUET Group owned the business before being acquired by Cheung Kong Infrastructure in 2017 for approximately A$7.4 billion. CKI's Australian portfolio also included electricity distributors such as United Energy, CitiPower and Powercor, as well as Australian Gas Networks. Following the acquisition, Multinet Gas was operated as part of the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group, a commonly managed group whose other principal businesses include Australian Gas Networks and Dampier to Bunbury Pipeline. In the twenty-first century, the company's strategic context has been shaped by questions about the future of gas networks and decarbonisation. AGIG has supported renewable-hydrogen projects in Australia, including a South Australian pilot that blended renewable hydrogen into gas supplied to more than 700 households and a later expansion intended to reach more than 3,700 homes. Those projects were not located on the Multinet Gas network, but they formed part of the wider group's renewable-gas programme. Multinet Gas separately conducted hydrogen-readiness studies examining operational procedures, the condition and compatibility of pipeline welds, equipment used in hazardous areas and the suitability of network materials. The cited results indicated that approximately 99 percent of the network was ready for 100 percent hydrogen. This should be understood as a technical-readiness assessment and planning position, not as proof that the entire network was already operating on hydrogen. Today, Multinet Gas remains an active Victorian distribution-network business. Its role is primarily infrastructure-based: receiving gas from the transmission system, regulating pressure, moving gas through local mains and maintaining connections serving residential and commercial customers. Its principal long-term challenges are renewing ageing assets, maintaining reliability, meeting regulatory and safety requirements, and determining how existing gas infrastructure may participate in a future renewable-gas system.

• 2018

  Multinet Gas is managed within AGIG

  [1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  Multinet Gas was operated within the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group alongside Australian Gas Networks and Dampier to Bunbury Pipeline.

• 2017

  DUET Group is acquired by Cheung Kong Infrastructure

  [1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  CKI acquired DUET Group for approximately A$7.4 billion, bringing Multinet Gas into CKI's Australian energy-infrastructure holdings.

• 1997

  Victorian gas networks are privatised

  [1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  The Gas and Fuel Corporation's control of Melbourne's gas network ended as part of the privatisation and restructuring of Victoria's gas industry.

• 1951

  Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria takes over the metropolitan network

  [1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  The government-owned Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria assumed control of the Melbourne gas network from the Metropolitan Gas Company.

• 1880

  Early Melbourne gas networks are established

  [1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  The Metropolitan Gas Company had built gas infrastructure in Melbourne by the 1880s, laying the historical foundations of the network later associated with Multinet Gas.

• Target for replacing low-pressure mains

  [1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  The network's mains-replacement programme targets the replacement of all low-pressure mains by 2031.

A regulated Victorian gas-distribution infrastructure operator focused on reliable local delivery, long-term pipeline renewal and preparation for renewable gases.

• Natural-gas distribution infrastructure

  Multinet Gas distribution network

  The core offering is a Victorian local gas-distribution network connecting the transmission system with approximately 703,000 homes and 16,000 businesses. It includes around 164 kilometres of licensed transmission pipelines, 9,650 kilometres of distribution mains and 179 regulator stations. The network operates across Melbourne's inner and outer eastern suburbs, the Yarra Ranges and South Gippsland.

• Infrastructure renewal

  Low-pressure mains replacement programme

  This programme addresses ageing low-pressure mains, including cast-iron pipes that can be affected by water ingress during wet weather. A typical intervention inserts high-pressure polyethylene pipe into the existing cast-iron main, reducing excavation and property disruption while improving the durability and operating characteristics of the network. The stated target is to replace all low-pressure mains by 2031.

• Renewable-gas infrastructure planning

  Hydrogen-readiness programme

  Multinet Gas has assessed its procedures, pipeline welds, hazardous-area equipment and material compatibility in preparation for possible renewable-gas use. The cited studies assessed the network as approximately 99 percent ready for 100 percent hydrogen. The work represents preparation and technical assessment rather than a completed conversion of the network.

• Replace legacy low-pressure mains with polyethylene infrastructureStrategy

  Background

  Parts of the network contain low-pressure cast-iron mains dating from the 1880s. Water ingress during wet weather has been associated with supply-reliability problems.

  Action taken

  Multinet Gas has pursued a mains-renewal programme that generally inserts high-pressure polyethylene pipe into existing cast-iron mains, with a target of replacing all low-pressure mains by 2031.

  Aftermath

  The programme is intended to improve reliability and modernise the network while limiting excavation and property disruption.

  Source

• Assess network readiness for hydrogenStrategy

  Background

  The wider Australian Gas Infrastructure Group has been developing renewable-hydrogen initiatives as the energy sector considers lower-carbon alternatives to conventional natural gas.

  Action taken

  Multinet Gas conducted readiness studies covering procedures, pipeline welds, hazardous-area equipment and compatibility of network materials.

  Aftermath

  The cited studies found the network approximately 99 percent ready for 100 percent hydrogen, supporting further evaluation of renewable-gas pathways.

  Source

• 2018

  Multinet Gas operates within the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group structure[1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Multinet Gas was described as being managed within Australian Gas Infrastructure Group alongside Australian Gas Networks and Dampier to Bunbury Pipeline.

• 2017

  CKI acquisition of DUET Group brings Multinet Gas into the Cheung Kong Infrastructure portfolio[1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Cheung Kong Infrastructure acquired DUET Group in a transaction valued at approximately A$7.4 billion. The transaction placed Multinet Gas within CKI's Australian energy-infrastructure portfolio.

• Hydrogen-readiness work supports possible renewable-gas transition[1]Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Multinet Gas undertook studies covering procedures, pipeline welds, hazardous-area equipment and material compatibility. The cited assessment found the network approximately 99 percent ready for 100 percent hydrogen.

1. 1Multinet Gasen.wikipedia.org